Eight-Minute Clock Shrinks NFL Draft First Round to Under Three Hours
The NFL's eight-minute limit for each first-round pick in the 2026 draft produced a first round that finished in 2 hours 53 minutes—36 minutes faster than 2025 (3:29). The change reflects a broader push to shorten the draft’s pace, a stark contrast to earlier eras when intervals between picks ranged from 15 minutes to 6 hours in 2007.